*We’re taking submissions for shorts for upcoming events. Please email reunionmovies@gmail.com to submit.*
One of those a year happened in a week kinda weeks. I feel silly communicating about any of this. I don’t know where to begin, or what to focus on. Perhaps the inability to focus is the topic. On March 13 2020, I predicted we would not recover from whatever this COVID thing was, and that the forms of disruption we’ve begun to experience had surpassed our ability as a civilization to adjust. Sunday night, I talked about how I struggled to focus on Game 7 of an incredible NBA Finals of an incredible NBA playoffs. We’re seriously supposed to go from Trump bombs Iran…to…basketball? All love and respect to basketball, but come on. And was I supposed to remember that I’d seen 28 Years Later a few nights prior? Or The Materialists? (I haven’t stopped thinking about the restoration of Christiane F. though, wow, what a watch! Gorgeous movie, I never got to see the subway scenes quite this clear until the restoration) Was I supposed to spend two-and-one-half hours watching Brad Pitt talk to Dax Shepherd as I get excited for F1? The NBA Finals also felt like one of these Netflix shows people somehow expect me to watch, and I have no clue how anyone else has time to watch. The NBA series, with two days off between each game, lasted nearly a month from the conference finals. They claim it’s because of east / west travel, ok, sure, so just do that when they travel. Not 1/2 or 3/4. I don’t understand how we complain about our ADHD dopamine receptor culture…and then stretch every little thing out to ten hours. And then we complain when a movie is over two hours, even when those movies absolutely warrant being that long and are often the best movies of the year (excluding superheroes). Is the pitch that we’re supposed to dive into the Candace Bushnell long read on rich 60-90 year olds f@cking in the Hamptons during the midseason flashback character development episodes? I wrote this before knowing who will be NYC’s next mayor. That’s also a thing we have to think about. Do we asterisk this NBA Finals because of Haliburton’s injury after dropping 9 points in the first 7 mins of the game? What do we do about this heat? And the ticks!!! Oh and like antisemitism and trans rights and sleeper cells and AI and I have a missed call and a ‘hey’ text from an ex and what am I supposed to do about that???
I guess what I’m saying here is I don’t really understand how to live today, and don’t expect anyone else does.
So what should a movie look like in 2025?
Oh. Sorry. That was it. This isn’t Ted Hope’s newsletter. I don’t have the answers. Have a great day. Don’t die.
(not edited since mayoral primary, don’t get me started)
Sorry, Baby is in theaters. Go see it! Revisit our dive into the sale here:
Last week before sending this, I missed the final point in Scott Macauley’s Filmmaker Mag weekly, that he’s stepping down after 33 years. He tossed it in like an afterthought. Scott is incomparable in the breadth of work as a film magazine editor. Truly nobody can match. Grateful to him for all he’s done for independent film, and excited to see what he does with his next chapter.
Oh wait, after I typed that, Anna Wintour stepped down. So ok, Scott is the Anna Wintour of indie film magazines. If only he had a Met Gala of his own. He also has amazing hair. See above.
And oh wow Rick Owens. I’m an og heroin chic guy who was wayyyy too young to be into heroin chic yet I was. My 1996 6th grade girlfriend got me a Valentine’s Day card with Kate Moss on it because I loved her even as a 12 year old. That obsession has blossomed into a very healthy eating disorder and ongoing body dysmorphia that I certainly have and have never done anything about much less treated. When I saw Brad Pitt’s body in Fight Club, I thought…yeah…but like what if it were leaner and the V was more pronounced? As unhealthy and toxic as I know this is, I must admit I totally aspire to look as ghoulish as Tyrone Susman, even down to the second half of my hair turning blonde in the ocean. This is such a view into my screwed up diasporic Jew psychology obsessed with the white people I will never be nor be accepted by. I think this reads like satire, but I’m totally half-serious. Amazing show by the way. Always. What a crew.
— Sean Glass @sdotglass
EVENTS (reunion.eventive.org )
JULY 7: Reunion presents Side Hustle + Surprise Feature & Discussion [RSVP] (ok, it's We're All Going to the World's Fair)
JULY 8: Reunion presents Nuked w Cast + Crew Q+A [RSVP]
JULY 14: Reunion + Broey Deschanel presents Eternal Sunshine and the Spotless Mind BOOK LAUNCH + Screening [RSVP]
Hosting things for Winning is Winning and Dilaria next week, but here’s their listings for now if you want to go before I host.
Dilaria [Get Tickets]
Winning is Winning [Get Tickets] by Hoi Polloi, featuring some Reunion Live cast members, previews tonight, opening Sunday.
Viola’s Room [Get Tickets] This is good too. New thing from Punch Drunk who did Sleep No More, which I hate, but I loved this one. Like Skinamarink actually, going into a 90s kids dreams / nightmares physically. At the wretched Hudson Yards’ The Shed, but worth it. Don’t get sucked into the food courts nearby. Just eat elsewhere. Be in and out. Live your life. Don’t look at the Vessel or whatever that thing is called. I forget.
NEWS
The important stuff on the important stuff. TL;DR + links if you want more.
California Legislative Leaders Agree on $750 Million in Funding for Film and TV Credit [Variety]
Producer Scott Budnick Details How Hollywood Got California Lawmakers To Agree On Film & TV Tax Credit Program Expansion [Deadline]
100 BEST MOVIES OF THE 21st CENTURY [NYT] No paywalls btw. I hate it.
How Actors, Directors and Other Film Lovers Voted [NYT]
Ranked Choice at the Movies [National Review] I didn’t read this yet, but I'm sure I agree with everything Armond White says. Ok being sarcastic but I love him and his anger.
Denis Villeneuve Directing Next James Bond Film [Deadline] According to Jeff Sneider’s newsletter, Villeneuve was one of five filmmakers who pitched on the project, along with Edward Berger, Paul King, Jonathan Nolan, and Edgar Wright—with Berger and Villeneuve being the finalists. Ultimately Villeneuve won out due to his experience in the action genre. Interestingly enough it sounds like his story will help determine the casting of the next James Bond.
The Social Network Sequel in the Works, Directed by Aaron Sorkin [Variety]
‘The Comeback’ Revived By HBO For Third & Final Season [Deadline]
Lalo Schifrin, Prolific Film Composer Who Wrote Mission: Impossible Theme, Dies at 93 [Variety] RIP to a legend.
Rebekah Del Rio, Mulholland Drive Singer Who Performed ‘Llorando’ in David Lynch Classic, Dies at 57 [Variety] Another legend, gone way too soon.
‘Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’ Is the Year’s Most Hopeful Blockbuster [IndieWire] I like this being reviewed like a movie. Hoping there will be more crossovers to come.
For instance, check trailer for Cannes prem Toho produced Exit 8 game adaptation
BBC Throws Up Website Paywall for U.S. Users [Variety]
Filmmaker Magazine Editor-in-Chief Scott Macaulay Stepping Down in Fall [Filmmaker Magazine] Great hair.
How Running a Film Festival Helped Me Get Into Sundance [Moviemaker] Next in this series will be How running a cow farm helped me get steak.
Moonmen, Rejoice: CBS, MTV Announce Van Toffler’s Return to VMAs [Hits] Legend.
Range Studios Leaders Build on Movie Momentum After Automatik Acquisition Leads to a Banner 2024 [Variety]
Anna Biller’s The Face Of Horror to film in Prague for the UK’s Good Chaos, Embankment Films, WME [Screen Daily] Yessss
Paul Dano To Write And Direct Comedy For Universal Pictures And The Daniels [Deadline]
Materialists Is an Inert Misreading of Modern Romance [Vulture] Oh wow—somebody said something!
Israel’s Guy Nattiv and Iran’s Zar Amir on Releasing Co-Directed Tatami in the U.S. Amid Conflict: ‘We Need This Friendship More Than Ever’ [Variety]
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Phantom Of The Opera’ Spinoff ‘Masquerade’ Plans Six-Week NYC Run, Announces Attire Requirements For Attendance [Deadline]
SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATIONS
The backlash to CBK looks are hilarious Worth a dive Worth checking the Ryan Murphy rebuttal. Lauren Sherman's kiiiinda calling him out but letting him off hook is fun journalism we'll say. CBK forever, and sorry, I can't say I plan to watch this show.
WATCH
F1 The Movie [wide] This movie is literally just the official sports logo and they even added a subtitle so you know it’s a movie. SG: Seeing it on ScreenX with Grandma this weekend.
M3GAN 2.0 [wide] What’s the deal with the 3? Why do they do that? It’s so annoying. This is one of those things that I accept not being for me though and it’s fine.
Sorry, Baby [Angelika] GO!!!!
Eva Victor Didn’t Tell a Woman’s Story [autostraddle]
Eva Victor Tells Lucy Dacus How Making Sorry, Baby Made Her Whole [Interview]
Sorry, Baby Wants to Introduce You to Eva Victor, Superstar [Rolling Stone]
Nobu [Angelika]
Afternoons of Solitude with Albert Serra in person FRI + SAT [Film Linc] Not for the faint of heart, but a must-see (especially if you can hear Serra talk). I’ll be there Saturday.
Christiane F. 4K restoration [Film Linc] Went last week. Great.
In the Mood For Love 4K restoration + In the Mood For Love 2001 [Film Linc + IFC] featuring the rarely seen short film they made, plus they’re selling some new book about it on Sunday. I’ll be there.
Apocalypse Now 4K restoration of the original 1979 Roadshow print! [Film Forum] I saw this print years ago in Westwood when I was taking summer courses at UCLA and I remember we stayed out past curfew and had to run back across campus.
Kill the Jockey [Film Forum]
Hot Milk [IFC]
Videoheaven w/ Alex Ross Perry in person [IFC]
Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue w/ filmmaker in person [IFC]
blur: To The End [Quad]
The Last Class w/ subject Robert Reich and filmmakers in person [Quad]
The Pirate, 8 Women, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Volver, Mother, Strictly Ballroom—all in 35mm + more [Metrograph]
Mikio Naruse: The World Betrays Us [Metrograph]
Tom Cruise, Above and Beyond series [MoMI]
READ: Live Wire: The Art of Tom Cruise [Reverse Shot]
JULY 4:
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse U.S. Premiere of the new 4K restoration + New introduction by Francis Ford Coppola and Sofia Coppola, recorded for Film Forum! [Film Forum]
JULY 5-6:
MUBI and Metrograph Present: Twin Peaks circa 2017, JUL 5-6 [Metrograph] Nothing will ever compare to Hot Twin Peaks Summer 2017. It was the best of times, period.
JULY 9:
Clive Barker Shorts [Nitehawk]
JULY 17:
License to Live, archival 35mm with introduction by Kiyoshi Kurosawa [Japan Society]
Part of Japan Cuts 2025 [Japan Society]
JULY 18:
Cloud with Kiyoshi Kurosawa in person [Film Linc + IFC] Very fun and prescient / timely movie. Check it out.
JULY 20-AUGUST 1:
Megalopolis with interactive Q&A featuring FFC.
STREAMING
Adam Curtis’ Shifty. Stream on [BBC]
The Bear S4 —feels insane that this is already the 4th season.
Hard Boiled 4K Restoration [VOD]
Nosferatu [Prime Video]
Pavements [VOD]
Luca Guadagnino’s Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams [Prime Video]
JULY 8:
The Shrouds coming to Criterion Channel.
ON OUR MIND
It’s here. [Barnes & Noble]
WATCH: Specialist Roy Parker-Saladino on the David Lynch auction. Amazing idea and get for this very timely conversation.
READ: With the Stars: A Tribute to David Lynch [MUBI Notebook]
Caroline Polachek debuts title track for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
WATCH: Marina directed by Eva Steinmetz, winner of the 6th Annual Student Short Film Showcase.
Email your New York Stories to Larry Clark.
No movies, just a funny palate cleanser thread.
READ: “We Literally Burned Our Actual Set”: Writer-Director Ryan Coogler and Producers Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian on Sinners [Filmmaker Magazine]
i love what you are doing here. It almost makes me move back to NYC. Don't stop.